Friday, July 24, 2015

HERO AND HEROINE CHARACTER STUDIES

My recent release, McCLINTOCK’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, McClintock book three, has met with enthusiastic sales. This is what every author hopes for. We write—usually in solitary confinement—while hoping our efforts will produce a book that readers love. Thank you to those of you who’ve bought my book! A double thank you to those of you who’ve left a review!

Today I wanted to reward readers by giving the backstory for Nettie Clayton and Josh McClintock. Ladies first.

Nettie Sue Clayton
Nettie Sue Clayton was born in Newcastle, England to Grace and Council Clayton. Her older sister, Stella Grace Clayton, became Nettie’s best friend. The two were usually together and loved school and music. While in England, the Clayton family owned a piano that had belonged to Grace’s parents. The opportunity to move to the U.S.A. meant they had to sell much of their belongings, including the piano.

Like the other members of her family, Nettie is musically inclined and has a beautiful singing voice which blends perfectly with that of her sister and brother. While they lived in England, Nettie’s younger brother, Colin, died of diphtheria. This resulted in a gap of four years between Nettie and Lance.

In the U.S., the Clayton family came to Lignite, Texas where Council worked as a coal miner and crew chief. Although the family members were disappointed in the town, Council viewed his time in Lignite and Farland Coal Mine as a stepping stone. He and Grace kept that to themselves rather than build false hope in their children.

Nettie Wants her father out of the mine
Nettie and Stella convinced tight-fisted Mr. Farland to let them use a building for a school. He agreed, but the sisters didn’t get a salary. Nettie taught children up to eight, concentrating on teaching them English due to the fact immigrants from numerous countries worked at the mine. Stella taught students from ages nine until they left school. They hoped one day to teach in a paying position. In addition, both wanted their father to leave mining and work in a safer and healthier job. He’d already developed a miner’s cough.

When Stella married Finn O’Neill (O’NEILL’S TEXAS BRIDE), Finn arranged for the Clayton family to move to McClintock Falls, Texas. Nettie had a huge crush on Josh, even though Finn warned her Josh was not marriage material. She knew she had no chance with Josh, but that didn’t prevent her from dreaming about him.


Josh McClintock
Joshua “Josh” Victor McClintock was born the eldest child of Kathryn and Austin McClintock. His younger brother, Daniel, and younger sister, Rebecca, completed the family. Kathryn had a stillborn son between Daniel and Rebecca. When Josh was nine, his cousin Dallas McClintock came to live with Kathryn and Austin and became like a big brother to Josh and Daniel.

Josh and his brother (including Dallas) worked on the ranch and received a portion of the profits. Dallas used his earnings to purchase his own ranch. Rather than doing ranch work, Rebecca assisted her mother with her midwifery and herbal healing practice.

Josh works hard on the ranch
Josh’s grandfather, Victor, and great grandfather had settled McClintock Falls. The family was wealthy and well-respected in the community—even Dallas was respected for his skill with horses although people sunned him because he was half Cherokee (THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE now FREE). By the 1880s, the McClintock families were quite well to do for the time.

Josh is soft-hearted hidden behind a charming, rogue-like demeanor. He arranged a place to live for the Claytons that was within easy walking distance to town. In addition, he encouraged his grandfather to find a job for Council. Grandpa McClintock arranged for Council to take over the local barbershop, which provided a safe occupation indoors and without the physical demands of mining.

How the McClintock ranch might have appeared.

Knowing one day half of McClintock ranch would be his, Josh worked hard to not only preserve the land, but improve the ranch. He thought Nettie sweet and beautiful, but he knew she was the marrying kind and he had no plans to marry for six more years. When his best friends began to wed, however, Josh felt he no longer fit in their lives and found the companionship of bad influences. That’s where readers find him when the book opens.




There you have the lowdown on Nettie Clayton and Josh McClintock from McCLINTOCK’S RELUCTANT BRIDE. In the event you haven’t read the book yet, I hope you will soon! Here are the buy links:

Amazon in Deutschland  http://www.amazon.de/dp/B011LGDP8U


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